Loophole sought in ski host row

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The custom of offering British holidaymakers a tour of the pistes, to help them find their way around in an unfamiliar resort, has existed for years. No actual instruction is given, and the guides are not allowed to take guests off-piste. But a French court declared the practice unlawful in February, ruling that only fully-qualified instructors could guide skiers around the slopes.

A group of major ski operators are set to appeal against the ban – which could lead to the loss of dozens of jobs. In the meantime, however, some smaller companies may request that hosts work on a voluntary basis.

Michael Pettifer, managing director of specialist insurance provider MPI Brokers, told Travelmole, the travel industry website, that it had put together policies for resort staff to offer hosting on a voluntary basis in response to demand from tour operators.

"Some of the smaller companies will continue to offer hosting, but staff will do it on their days off, without their tour operator-issued ski jackets on, so they can't be accused of breaking French law,” he said. “If staff offer hosting in a private capacity, without payment, it will be just like someone skiing with their mates and showing them around. The problem is that they still need to have insurance, which is why we have put a package together.”

While French authorities claim the ban is due to safety concerns, some have accused them of acting out of protectionism.

The Telegraph's Julian Sambles, a former operations manager for the operator Skiworld, responsible for the training of staff, including ski hosts, criticised the ban earlier this year.

“Hosting services don’t cost ski resorts or the French government a penny, but are worth their weight in gold to the holidaymaker,” he said. “The free service offered by hosts is very hard for ski schools to emulate and is a great way of introducing skiers to unfamilar destinations. Instead of persecuting this, the French ought to be applauding it.”